Maksym Bakhmatov, head of the Desnianskyi District State Administration, has found himself embroiled in yet another scandal. The official is the defendant in a court case stemming from public accusations for which he now cannot find any evidence. This was reported by “Glavkom.” In the spring, following a widely publicized video allegedly showing Kyiv City State Administration officials drinking alcohol, the controversial official accused specific individuals of this behavior, but now admits he was wrong.

This refers to a post published by Maksym Bakhmatov on Facebook on April 19, 2025. In it, the official stated that Marina Honda, the deputy mayor of Kyiv, allegedly appeared in the video of the scandalous “drinking party” in one of the Kyiv City State Administration’s offices. Following this, the deputy mayor filed a lawsuit to protect her honor, dignity, and professional reputation, insisting that the information disseminated was untrue.

Yuriy Radzievsky, the attorney for Klitschko’s deputy, outlined his position to “Glavkom.” According to him, the accusations made public by Maxim Bakhmatov are not supported by any evidence, and the video of the gathering, which he used as evidence, has no connection whatsoever to either Honda or her subordinates.

“During the court proceedings, the defendant effectively admitted that Marina Petrivna had nothing to do with this incident. In one of his court filings, he noted that he initially mistakenly believed that Marina Honda was present in the video, but later acknowledged that this was not the case,” said the deputy mayor’s attorney.

However, following the most recent court hearing on December 9, 2025, Maxim Bakhmatov published a video statement in which he claimed to be under alleged “pressure” and once again brought up the topic of the controversial video. At the same time, Honda’s attorney emphasized that Bakhmatov’s new statement is untrue.

“In fact, it is not he who is suing Marina Petrovna, but she who is suing him. The essence of the lawsuit lies exclusively in the public dissemination of false information. No pressure is being exerted on him. This is solely a matter of holding him accountable through legal proceedings,” added the plaintiff’s representative.

“Glavkom” contacted Maksym Bakhmatov, head of the Desnianskyi District State Administration, asking him to comment on the situation and to find out whether he would consider apologizing if the court ruled that the information disseminated was false. The official declined to comment over the phone, noting that he is willing to respond only in writing and upon an official request.

As a reminder, in the spring of 2025, a scandalous video appeared on social media in which, according to media reports, officials from the tourism department of the Kyiv City State Administration were seen drinking alcohol in an office. The footage shows a drinking party, followed by people who can barely stand, with some lying on the floor and others barely able to move.

According to official information from the Kyiv City State Administration, the video is dated 2022 and was filmed in the office of Marina Radova, director of the Department of Tourism and Promotions. After the video was published, Radova submitted her resignation.

At the same time, the deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration, Marina Honda, who was named in the video’s captions, stated that she was not present in the footage; she insists that her name was used and defamed. According to the deputy mayor, the footage is part of a “systematic information attack”; she is unaware of the circumstances surrounding the video’s appearance online, and any mention of her name among the participants is false.

This was followed by a public outcry, an internal investigation at the Kyiv City State Administration, and the dismissal of some of those implicated.